Chapter XXXVI (continued, part 2)
Ver. 1-6. While THE ENEMiEsScorF,NEHEMiAH Prays TO God, and Continues the Work. 1. when Snnballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wrotli—The Samaritan faction showed their bitter animosity to the Jews on discovering the systematic design of refortifying Jerusalem. Their opposition was confined at first to scoffs and insults. In heaping which the governors made themselves conspicuous, and circulated all sorts of disparaging reflections that might increase the feelings of hatred and contempt for them in their own party. The weakness of the Jews in respect of wealth and numbers—the absurdity of their purpose apparently to reconstruct the walls, and celebrate the feast of dedication in one day—the idea of raising the walls on their old foundations, as well as using the charred and mouldering debris of the ruins as the materials of the restored buildings and the hope of such a parapet as they could raise being capable of serving as a fortress of defence—these all afforded fertile subjects of hostile ridicule. 3. if a fox go up-The foxes were mentioned from their having been known, in great numbers, to infest tlie ruined and desolate ])laces in the mount and city of Zion (Lamentations
6-19. The Usitrers Ueruked. 0. I was verjangry when I heard tlieir ery and tliese words—When such disorders came to the knowledge of the governor, his honest indignation was roused against the perpetrators of the evil, and having summoned a public assembly, he denounced their conduct in terms of just severity—contrasted it with his own in redeeming with his money some of the Jewish exiles who, through debt or otherwise had lost their personal lilierty in Babylon—urged the rich creditors not only to abandon their illegal and oppressive .system of usury, but to restore the fields and vineyards of the poor, so that a remedy might be put to an evil, the introduction of which had led to much actual disorder, and the continuance of which wouUl inevitably pro^ o ruinous to the newly restored colony, by violating the fundaiiiental principles of the Hebrew constitution. The remonstrance was etrectnal. The conscience of the usurious oppressors could not resist Ili(> touching and power-
5. IS). 4-, .5. Hear, O our God ; for we are despised-The imprecations invoked here may seem liarsli, cruel, and vindictive; I)ut it must be remembered tliat Nehemiah and his friends regarded those Samaritan leaders as enemies to the cause of God and His people, and tlierefore as deserving to be visited with heavy judgments. The prayer, therefore, is to be considered as emanating from hearts in whicli neither hatred, revenge, nor any inferior passion, but a pious and patriotic zeal for tlie glory of God and tlie success of His cause, held the ascendant sway. G. nil tlie wall was joined togetlicr unto tlic half tlnereof—Tlie whole circuit of tlie wall had '^een distributed in sections to various companies of the people, and was completed to the half of the intended height.
7-23. Hk Sets a Watch. 7. But . . . when .Snnballat
ful appeal, and with mingled emotions of shani(>, contrition, and I'ear, they with one voice expressed their readiness to comply with tlie governor's recoinniendatloii. The proceedings were closed liy the parlies bimling tliem.sel ves by a solemn oath, administered by the priests, that they would redeem their pledge, as well as by the governor invoking, by the solemn and signiticant gesture of shaking a corner of Ills garment, a malediction on those wiio should violate it. The historian has taken care to record tliat the peojile did according to this promise. 14. Moreover from tl>e time that I was appointed ... I and my brethren liave iioi I'alen tlte l>rend of tlir governor We have a remarkable proof hot h iil the (>;iuU'iice and the
. , . Iieni-d that the walls . . . were made up, and . . . the breacliea . . . stopped—The rapid progress of the fortifiratioiis, despite of all their predictions to the contrary, goaded the Samaritans to frenzy, and they, dreading danger from the growing greatness of the Jews, formed a conspiracy to surprise them, demolish their worlis, and disperse or intimidate the builders. The plot being discovered, Nehemiah adopted the most energetic measures I'or ensuring the common safety, as well as the uninterrupted building of the walls. Hitherto the governor, for the sake of despatch, had set all his attendants and guards on the work—now h.alfofthem were withdrawn tobeconstaiilly in arms. The workmen laboured with a trowel in one hand and a sword in the other ; and as, in so large a circuit, they were far removed from each other, Nehemiah, who was night and day on the sjiot, and, by Ills jiious exhortations and example, animate<l the minds of his people, kept a trumpeter by his side, so that, on any inlelligence of a surprise being brought to him, an alarm might be immediately sounded, and assistance ren<lered to the most distant detachment of their brethren. ]!y tliese vigilant precautions, the counsels of the enemy were deteated, and the work was carried on apace. God, when 296
disiiiteresteiliiess of Nehemiah. .\s he declined, on conscientious grounds, to accept the lawlnl emoluments attached to his government, and .vel maintained a stylo of princi ly hospitality for twelve years out of his own re-
.sources, it is evident that Ills odiee iil cup-bearer at the court ot Shusliaii must have been very lucrative. 15. Uie former gov<'riiors . . . had talien . , . bread and wiuo, besides forty sliekels of silver—Tlie Income of lOasteru governors Is jiaid jiarlly in product', partly in money. " Bread " means all sorts of provisions. Tlie forty shekels of sllvr per day would amount to a yearly salary of JC1800
Sanballat rraclises against Nehemiah. NEHEMIAH VI, VII. The Churje of Jerusalem,
sterling. 17. Moreover there were at my table an hundred and fifty of the Jews—In the East it has been always customary to calculate the expense of a king's or grandee's estJiblishment, not by the amount of money disbursed, but bj' the quantity of provisions consumed
thus built in troublous times (Daniel 9. 2.5) was happily completed {v. 15) in tlie brief space of fifty-two days. So rapid execution, even supposing some parts of the old wall standing, cannot be sufficiently accounted for, except by the consideration that the builders laboured with the ardour of religious zeal, as men employed in the work of God.
(see I Kings 4. 22; 18. 19; Ecclesiastes 5. 11).
Ver. 1-19. Sanballat Puactises against Nehemiah BY INSIDIOUS Attempts. SJ. Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me—The Samaritan leaders, satisfied that they could not overcome Nehemiah by open arms, resolved to gain advantage over him by deceit and stratagem. With
Ver. 1^. Nehemiah Commits the Charge of JekuSALEM TO Hanani AND Hananiah. 3. I gave my brother Hanani . . . charge over Jerusalem— If, as is commonly supposed, Nehemiah was now contemplating a return to Shushan according to his promise, it waa natural that he should wish to entrust the custody of Jerusalem and the management of its civic aflairs to men on whose ability, experience, and fidelity, lie could confide. Hanani, a near relative (ch. 1. 2), was one, and with him was associated, as colleague, Hananiah, "the ruler of the palace"— i. e., the marshal or chamberlain of the viceregal court, which Nehemiah hud maintained in Jerusalem. The high religious principle, as well as the patriotic spirit of tliose two men, recommended tliem as pre-eminently qualified for being invested with an offi-
this view, under pretext of terminating their difl'erences In an amicable manner, they invited him to a conference. The place of rendezvous was fixed " in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono." " In the villages " is, Heb., "in Cephirim," or Cephirah, the name of a town in the territory of Benjamin (Joshua 9. 17 ; 18. 26). Nehemiah, however, apprehensive of some intended mischief, prudently declined the invitation, and, though it was repeated four times, his uniform answer was, that his presence could not be dispensed with from the Important work in which he was engaged. This was one, though not the only, reason. Tlie principal ground of his refusal, was, that his seizure or death at their hands would certainly put a stop to the further progress of the fortifications. 5-9. Then sent Sanliallat his servant . . . the fifth time
cial trust of such peculiar importance, he feared God above many—The jiiety of Hananiah is especially mentioned as the ground of his eminent fidelity in the discharge of all his duties and, consequently, the reason of the confidence which Nehemiali reposed in him, for he was full}' persuaded that Hananiah's fear of God would preserve him from those temptations to treachery and unfaithfulness which he was likely to encounter on the governor's departure fVom Jerusalem. 3. Liet not the gates of Jeiiisnlem be opened until the sun be hot,
wltiiL an open lett«T in his hand—In Western Asia, let-
ters, after being rolled up like a map, are flattened to the broa<lth of an inch, and instead of being sealed, are pasted at the ends. In Eastern Asia, tlie Persians make up their
letters in the f<n m of a roll about six inches long, and a bit of paper is fastened round it with gum, and sealed with an Impression of ink, which resembles our printers' ink, but
i&c.—In the East it is customary to open the gates of a city at sunrise, and to bar tliein at sunset—a rule which is very rarely, and not except to persons of authority, infringed. Nehemiah recommended that the gates of Jerusalem should not be so early opened; a precaution necessary at a time wlien the enemy were pnictisiug all sorts of dangerous stratagems, to ensure that the inhabitants were all astir, and enjoyed the benefit of clear broad daylight for observing the suspicious movements of any enemy. The propriety of regularly barring the gates at sunset was, in this instance, accompanied with tlie appointment of a number of the people to act as sentinels, each mounting guard in front of his own liouse. 4. IVow the city was large and great—The walls being evidently built on the old foundations, the city covered a large extent of surface, as all Oriental towns do, the houses standing apart with gardens and orchards intervening. This extent, in the then state of Jerusalem, was the more observable as the population was comparatively small, and the habitations of the most rude and simple construction—mere wooden sheds or coverings of loose, unmortared stones.
it is not so thick. Letters were, and are still, sent to persons of distinction in a bag or purse, and even to equals they are enclosed—the tie being made with acoloured ribbon ; but to inferiors, or persons who are to be treated contemptuously, the letters were sent open i. e., not enclosed in a bag. Nehemiah, accustomed to the punctilious ceremonial of the Persian court, would at once notice the want of tlie usual formality, and know that it was from designed disrespect. The strain of the latter was equally Insolent. It was to this effect—that the fortifications with wliich he was so busy were inten-ipd to strengthen his position in the view of a meditated revolt—that he had engaged propliets to incite the people to enter into his design, and support his claim to be their native king—and that, to stop the circulation of such reports, which would soon reach the court, he was earnestly besought to come to the wished-for conference. Nehemiali, strong in the consciousness of his own integrity, and penetrating the purpose of this shallow artifice, replied, that there were no rumours of the kind described—that the idea of a revolt and the stimulating addresses of hired demagogues were stories of the writer's own invention, and that he declined now, as formerly, to leave his work. 10-14. Afterward I came Into the honse of Shcmaiali, &c.—This man was the son of a priest, who was an intimate and confidential friend of Nehemiah. The young man claimed to be endowed with the gift of prophecy. Having been secretly bribed by Sanballat, he, in his pretended capacity of prophet, told Nehemiah that his enemies were that night to make an attempt upon his life, and advised him, at the same time, to consult his safety by concealing himself in the sanctuary, a crypt which, from its sanctity, was strong and secure. But the noble-minded governor determined at all liazards to remain at his post, and not bring discredit on the cause of God and religion by his unworthy coM'ard ice in leaving the temple and city unprotected. This plot, together with a secret collusion between the enemy and the nobles of Judah who were favourably disposed towards the bad Samaritan in consequence of his Jewish connections {v. IS), the undaunted courage and vigilance of Nehemiali were enalilcd, with the blessing of God, to defeat, and the erection of the walls
5-.38. Genealogy or those who Came at the Fiust OUT OF Babylon. 5. my God put into mine heart to gather together thenobles, Ac—The arrangement about to be described, though dictated by mere common prudence, is, in accordance with the pious feelings of Nehemiali, ascribed not to his own prudence or reflection, but to the grace of God prompting and directing him. He resolved to prepare a register of the returned exiles, containing an exact record of the family and ancestral abode of every individual, and while thus directing his attention, discovered a register of the first detachment whohad come under the care of Zerubbabel. It is transcribed in the following verses, and diflers in some few particulars from that given in Ezra 2.; but the discrepancy is sufUciently accounted for from the different circumstances in which the two registers were taken; that of Ezra having been made up at Babylon, while that of Nehemiah was drawn out in Judea, after the walls of Jerusalem had been rebuilt. The lapse of so many years might well be expected to make a difference appear ill the catalogue, through death or other causes ; in particu-
lar, one person '^eing, according to Jewish custom, called
Manner of Reading and Hearing the Law. NEIIEMIAH VIII, IX. The Fast and Repentance of the People.
was of use partly to show their cordial agreement with
by different names. Thus Ilaviph {v. 24) is the same as
Ezra's declaration of Divine truth; and partly to take
Jorali (Ezra 2. 18), Sia {v. 47) the same as Siaha (Ezra 2. 44),
their share with him in the important duty of publicly reading and expounding the Scripture. 5. when h« opened it, all the people stood up—This attitude they assumed either from respect to God's word, or, rather, because the reading was prefaced by a solemn prayer, which was concluded by a general expression of amen, amen. 7, 8. caused the people to understand tlie law . . . gave the sense—Commentators are divided in opinion as
&c. Besides other purposes to whicli this genealogy of
the nobles, rulers, and people was subservient, o:;e lead-
ing object contemplated by It was to ascertain with accu-
racy the parties to whom the duty legally belonged of
niiuisteriug at the altar and conducting the various ser-
vices of the temple ; and for guiding to exact information
in this important point of inquiry, the possession of the
old register of Zerubbabel was invaluable.
to the import ol this statement, some thinking that Ezra read the law in pure Hebrew, while the Levites, who assisted him, translated it sentence by sentence into Chaldee, the vernacular dialect which the exiles spoke
39-78. Of the Priests. 39. The priests—It appears
that only four of the courses of the priests returned from the captivity, and that the course of Abia(Luke 1. 5) is
not in the list. But it must be noticed that these four
in Babylon ; while others maintain that the duty of the.se
courses were afterwards divided into twenty-four, which
I.evites consisted in explaining to the people, many of whom had become very ignorant, what Ezra had read.
retained the names of the original courses which David
appointed. 70. some of the chief of the fathers, etc. With verse 69 the register ends, and the thread of Nehemiah's history is resumed. He was the tirshatha or gov-
9-15. The People Comforted. 9. This day is holy unto the Lord . .
.' mourn not, nor weep—A deep sense
of their national sins, impressivel.v brought to their remembrance by the reading of the law and its denuncia-
ernor, and tlie liberality displayed by him and some of
the leading men for the suitable equipment of the minis-
tions, afl'ected the hearts of the people with penitential sorrow; but notwithstanding the painful remembrances of their national sins which the reading of the law awakened, the people were exhorted to cherish the feelings of joy and thankfulness associated with a sacred
ters of religion, forms the subject of the remaining por-
tion of the chapter. Their donations consisted princi-
pally in garments. This would appear a singular descrip-
tion of gifts to be made by any one amongst us; but, in
Jie East, a present of garments, or of any article of use, is jfonformable to the prevailing sentimeatsand customs of
festival (see on Leviticus 23. 23-2.5), and by sending portions of it to their poorer brethren (Deuteronom.y U,
societ.y. dr.Tms of gold—), c, darics. A daric was a gold
14 ; Esther 9. 19), enable them to participate in the public rejoicings.
coin of ancient Persia, worth £1 5s. 11. pound of silver — /. c, mina (sixty shekels, or £9). 73. So . . . all Israel, dwelt in their cities—The utility of these genealogical
1(J-IS. They Keep the Feast of Tabernacles. IG.
tlie people went forth, and brought . . . anti made themselves booths, &c. — (see on Leviticus 23. 34-44; Deuteronomy 10. 13-17). 17. since the days of Joshua
registers was thus found in guiding to a knowledge of the
cities and localities in each tribe to which every family anciently belonged.
. . . had not the clkildren of Israel done so—This national feast had not been neglected for so protracted a period; for, besides that it is impo.ssible that sucli a flagrant disregard of the law could have been tolerated by .Samuel, David, and other pious rulers, its observance
Ver. 1-8. Religious Manner of Reading and IIear-
1N<J THE Law. 1. all the people gathered themselves together as one man—The occasion was the celebration of the feast of the seventh month (ch. 7. 73). The beginning of every month was ushered in as a sacred festival; but this, the commencement of the seventh month, was kept witli distinguished honour as "the feast of trumpets," which extended over two days. It was the first day of the seventh ecclesiastical year, and the new year's day of the civil year, on which account it was held as " a great day." The place where the general concourse of people was held was "at the water-gate," on the south rampart. Through that gate the Nethinims orGibeonitcs brought water into the temple, and thei-e was a spacious area in front of it. tliey spake unto Kzra the scribe to bring the book of (lie law of Moses—lie had come to Jerusalem twelve or thirteen years previous to Neliomiah ; and either remained there, or had returne<l to Bal)ylon in obedience to the royal order, and for the discharge of important duties. He had returned along with Neliemiah, but in a subordinate capacity. From tlie time of Nehemiah's appointment to the dignity of tirshatha, Ezra had retired into private life; and.allhougli cordially and zealously co-operating with the former pat riot in his Important measures of reform, the pious i)riest had devoted his time and attention principally toward producing a complete edition of the canonical Scriptures. The public reading of the Scriptures was required by tlie law to Ije made every*seventh .year, but during tlie long period of tliecaptivity this excellent practice, with many otiiers, had fallen into neglect, till revived on this occasion; and it indicates a greatly improved tone of religious feeling, that there w.as a strong and general desire among the returned exiles in .lerusalem to hear tlie word of God read to them. 4. Eira . . . stood upon a pnlplt of wood—Not made in the form known to us, butonl.v a raised scad'old or platform, broad enough to nllc)w fourteen persons to stand with ease upon It. Ezra's duty was ver.v laborious, as he continued reading aloud from morning until midday, but his lal)()ur was lightened by the aid of the otlier priests present. Their presence 298
is sufliciently indicated (1 Kings 8. 2, (w; 2 Chronicles 7. 9) and expressly recorded (Ezra 3. 4). But the meaning is, that the popular feelings had never been raised to such a height of enthusiastic joy since the time of their entrance into (Canaan, as noAV on their return after a long and painful captivity. 18. Also day by day . . . he read in the book of the law of God—This was more than was enjoined (Deuteronomy 31. 10-12), and arose Ironi the exuberant zeal of the time, on the eighth day was a solemn assembly—Thi.s was the last and great day of the feast (Numbers 3(1. X)). In later times, other ceremonies which increased the rejoicing were added (John 7. 37).
CIIAPTEE IX.
Ver. 1-3. A Solemn Fast, and Repentance ok the People. 1. Now in the twenty and fourth day of thia month— /. e., on the second day after the close of the feast of tabernacles, which commenced on the fourteenth and terminated on the twenty-second (Leviticus 23). The day inuneiliately after that feast, the twenty-thinl, had been occupied In separating the delinciuents from their unlawful wives, as well, ]H'rluips, as in taking steps for keeping aloof in future from unnecessary intercour.so with the heathen around them. For although this necessary measure of reformation had been begun formerly by Ezra (Ezra 10.), a nd .satlsfactoril.v accomiilished at that time, so far as he had Information of the e.\isling abuses, or possessed the power of correcting them, yet it apjiears that this reform.atory work of Ezra had been only partial and imperfect; many ca.ses of delinquency had escaped, or new defaulters had appeared who had contracted those forbidden alliances; and there was an urgent necessit.v for Nehemlah again to take vigorous measures for the removal of asocial evil which lln'eatened the most dUsastrous conse(iuences to the character and prosperlt.v of the chos(ui people. A solemn fast was now observed for the expression of those penitential and sorrowful feelings which the reading of the law had pro-
Tlie Confesaicm of the Lmilex. NEHEMIAII X. The Points of the Covenant,
throwing tiiemselves on Jlis merc.y, express their purpose of entering into a national covenant, b.y which they pledge themselves to dutiful oliedience in future. 'M. Jloreovcr, tliou gnvest tliein kingdoms and nations— i. e., put them in possession of a rich country, of an extensive ter-
dncofl.but which hnd boon suppressed cUirins; the ocle-
bration of the feast ; and the sincerity of tlieir repentance was evinced by tlie decisive steps talcon foi' the correction
of existing abuses in the matter of inarriaue. 2. confessed
their sins, and <5ie iniquities of tlieir fatUers—Not only did they read in tliiMr recent sufl'erinfcs a punishment of tlie nation;)! apostasy and guilt, but tliey liad made themselves partakers of their fathers' sins by fol-
ritory, wliich had been once occupied by a variety of princes and people, and didst divide tliem into corners —/.(?., into trilies. The propriety of the expression arose from the various districts touching at points or angles on
lowiiis the same evil ways. 3. they . . . read in tlie boolt of the law—Tlieir extraordinary zeal led them to continue this as before, one foui-th part of tlie clay—
eacli other, tlie land of Slhon, and the land of the king of Heshbon—Heshbon being tlie capital city, the passage sliould run thus: the land of Sihoii or tlie land of llic king of Heshbon. 3:i. Now tliercfore, our God
t. e., for three hours, twelve hours lieing the acknowledged length of the .lewisl) day (.Tohn 11.9), so that this solemn diet of worshij), which probably commenced at the morning sacrifice, was continued for six hours, /. c,
. . . who keepest covenant and mercy—God's fidelity to
Ilis covenant is prominently acknowledged, and well it miglit, for their wliole national history bore testimony to
till the time of the evening sacrifice. The worship which they save to the Lord their God, at this season of solemn
it. ISut as this could afford them little ground of comfort or of hope while they were so painfully conscious of liaving violated it, they were driven to seek refuge in llie riches of Divine grace; and hence the peculiar style of invocation here adopted: "Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who kcepail covenanl and mere}/-" 30. Behold, we are servants this day —Notwitlistanding their hajipy restoration to their native land, they were still tributaries of a foreign priiic<' wliose
national humiliation, <'onsisted in acknowledging and adoring Ilis great mercy in the forgiveness of tlieir great and multiplied ott'enccs, in delivering them from the merited ,ju<igments which they had already experienced
or which tlie.v had reason to apprehend, in continuing amongst them the light and blessings of His word and worship, and in supplicating the extension of his grace and piotection.
ofllcers ruled them, and were not, like their fathers, free tenants of the land which God gave them. 37. it yieldeth much increase unto the kin|;s wliom thou hast set over us because of our sins—Our agricultural laliours have been resumed in the land—we plough, and sow, and
4-;?.S. The Levites Confess Gon's MANiroi.D Good-
ness, AND their own Witkedness. 4. Then stood up upon the stairs—The scafi'olds or pulpits, whence the
l.evites nsually addressed the people. There were proba-
bly several placed at convenient distances, to prevent confusion, and the voice of one drowning those of the
till, and thou blessest the work of our hands with a plen-
others, cried with a lond voice unto the Lord—.Such an exertion, of course, was indispensably necessar.y, in order that the speakers might lie heard by a vast multitude congregated in the open air. But these speakers were then engaged in expressing their deep sense of sin,
tiful return ; but this increase is not for ourselves, as once
it was, but for our foreign masters, to whom we have to pay large and oppressive tribute, they have dominion over our bodies—Their persons were liable to be pressed,
at tlie mandate of their Assyrian conqueror, into the service of his empire, either in war or in public works. .\.nd our beasts are taken to do their pleasure. 38. we malte a sure covenant, and write i. e., subscribe or sign it. This written document would exercise a wholcsonuiiiHuence in restraining their baekslidings or in auiinating them to duty, by being a witness against them if in future
as well as fervently imploring the forgiving mercy of God, and "crying with a loud voice" was a natural accompaniment of this extrnordinarj' prayer-meeting, as violent gtstures and vehement tones are always the way in which
tlie .Tews, and other jieople in the East, have been accust<imed to give utterance to deep and earnest feelings. 5. then the Levites . . . said. Stand up and 1>less the Lord your God—If this prayer was uttered by all these Levites
tliey were unfaithful to their engagements.
In common, it must have been prepared and adopted beforehand, perhaps, by Ezra; but it may only embody the enbstam^e of the confession and thanksgiving. 6. Tliou, even tliou, art Lord alone, &c.—In this solemn and impressive prayer, in which they made public confession of their sins, and deprecated thejudgments due to the transgressions of their fathers, they begin with a profound adoration of God, whose supreme majesty and omnipotence is acknowledged in the creation, preservation, and government of all, and then they proceed to enumerate his mercies and distinguished favours to them as a nation, from the period of the call of their great ancestor, and the gracious promise intimated to him in the divinely-hestowed name of Abraham, a promise which implied that he was to be the Father of the faithful, the ancestor of the Messiah, and the honoured individual in whose seed
Ver. 1-27. The NAiMes of those who Sealed the Covenant. 1. Nehemiah, the tirshatha — iiis name was placed first In the roll on account of his high official rank, as deputy of the Persian monarch. All classes were included iu the subscription list; but the people were represented by their elders {v. 14), as it would have been impossible for every one in the country to have been admitted to the sealing.
2,S. The Rest of the People Bound themselves to Obseuve it. Those who were not present at the sealing ratified the covenant by giving their asse'nt, either in words or by lifting up their hands, and bound themselves, by a solemn oath, to walk in God's law, imprecating a curse upon themselves in the event of their violating it.
29-39. Points of the Covenant, ao. to observe and do all the commandments, &c.—This national covenant, besides containing a solemn pledge raf obedience to the Divine law generally, specified their engagement to some particular duties, which the character and exigency of the times stamped with great urgency and importance, and which may be summed up under the following heads: that they abstain from contracting matrimonial alliances with the heathen; that they would rigidly observe the sabbath ; that they would let the land enjoy rest and remit debts every seventh year; that they would contribute to the maintenance of the temple sei vice, the necessary expenses of which had formerly been defrayed out of the treasury of the temple (1 Chronicles 2G. 20), and when it was drained, given out from the king's privy purse
all the families of the earth should be blessed. Tracing in
full and minute detail the signal instances of Divine interposition for their deliverance and their interest—in their deliverance from Eg.yptian bondage—their miraculous passage throngli the Red Sea—the promulgation of His law—the forbearance and long-suffering shown them amid their frequent rebellions—thesignal triumphs given them over their enemies—their happ.y settlement in tlie promised land—and all the extraordinary blessings, both in the form of temporal prosperity and of religious priv-
ilege, with which his paternal goodness had favoured tliem above all other people; they charge themselves with making a miserable requital—confess their numerous and determined acts of disobedience—read, in the loss of their national independence and their long captivity, the severe punishment of their sins—acknowledge that, in all heavy and continueit .ludgments upon theii iiatiou, God had done right, but they had done wickedly, and iu
(2 Chronicles 31. 3) ; and that they would make an orderly payment of the priests' dues. A minute and particular enumeration of the first-fruits was made, that all might
The Inhabitants of Jerusalem,. NEIIEMIAH XI. and of the Other Cilia.
.3-^!6. Their Names. .3. the chief of the province— i.e., Judea. Neheiiiiali speaks of it, as it then was, a small appendlx of the Persian empire, in tlie cities of Judah dwelt every one in his possession in their cities—The returned exiles, wlio had come from Babylon, repaired generally, and by a natural impulse, to the lands and
be made fullj' aware of their obligations, and that none might excuse themselves on pretext of ignorance from withholding taxes which the ])overly of many, and the
irreligion of others, had made them exceedingly prone to evade. 32. tlie thiril part of a sUekel for t!ic service of
tlie liouse of our God—The law required every individual above twenty years of age to pay half a shekel to the san(;-
cities throughout the country which had been anciently assigned them. Israel—This general name, which designated the descendants of Jacob before the unhappy division of the two kingdoms under Kehoboam, was restored alter the captivity, tlie Israelites being then united with the Jews, and all traces of their former separation being obliterated. Although the majority of the returned exiles belonged to the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, they are here called Israel; because a large number out of all the tribes were now intermingled, and these were principally the occupiers of the rural villages, while none but
tuary. But in consequence of the general poverty of the
people, occasioned by war and captivity, this tribute was reduced to a third part of a shekel. 34. we cast tSae Ints . .
for t!ie wood offering—The carrying of the wood had formerly been the work of the Nethinims. But few of them having returned, the duty was a.ssigned as stated in the
text. The practice afterwards rose into great importance, and Josephus speaks [Wars, 2. 17, sect. 6] of the Xylophoria, or certain stated and solemn times at which the people brought up wood to the temple. 38. Tlie priest
tlie son of Aaron shall be witU tlie I^evitcs, when the
tliose of Judah and Benjamin resided in Jerusalem, the Levites—these took possession of the cities allotted to them, according as tliey had opportunity, the Netliin1ms—a certain order of men, either Gibeonites or persons joined with them, who were devoted to tlie service of God. 4;. at Jerusalem dwelt certain of the children of Judah—The discrepancy that is apparent between lliis and the list formerly given in 1 Chronicles 9. 1-9, arose not only from the Jewish and Oriental practice of changing or modifying the names of persons from a change of circumstances, but from the alterations that must have been produced in the course of time; the catalogue in Chroni-
r^evltes take tithes—This was a prudential arrangement. The presence of a dignified priest would ensure the peace-
ful delivery of the tithes; at least his superintendence and »nfluence would tend to prevent the commission of any wrong in the transaction, by the people deceiving the l^e-
vites, or tlie Levites defrauding the priests, the tithe of the tithes—i. e., the Levites, having received a tenth of
all land produce, were required to give ,a tenth of tliis to the priests. The Levites were charged with the additional obligation to carry tlie tithes when received, and deposit them in the temple stores, for the use of the priests. 39. we will not forsake the house of our God—This solemn pledge was repeated at the close of the covenant as an expression of tlie intense zeal by which the people at this time were animated for the glory and the worship of God. Under the pungent feelings of sorrow and repentance for their national sins, of which apostasy from the service of the true God was tlie chief, and under the yet fresh and painful remembrance of their protracted captivity, they vowed, and, feeling the impulse of ardent devotion as well as of gratitude for their restoration, flattered th(>mselves they would never forget their vow, to be the Lord's.
cles containing those who came with the first detachment of returned exiles, while the listin this passage probably included also those who returned with Ezra and Nelieniiah ; or it was most probabl.v made out afterwards, when several had died, or some, who had Vieen inserted as going on tl;e journey, remained, and others came in their stead. 9. overseer -i. c., captain or chief. 11. the ruler of the house of God—Assistant of the high priest (Numbers
3. :!•_'; 1 t'hronicles 9. 11 ; 2 Chronicles 19. 11). 16. the oversight of tlie outward huslness of the house of God— /. e,, those things which were done outside, or in the country, such as the collecting of the provisions (1 Chronicles 2(i. 29). 17. the principal to begin the thanksgiving in pruyei: —1. c, the leader of the choir which cliaunted the public
Ver. 1, 2. The Rui-ers, Volitntary Men, and every Tenth Man Chosen by Lot, Dwell at Jeru.salkm. 1. the rulers . . . dwelt at Jerusalem—That city being the metropolisof the country, it was right and proper that the seat of government .should be there. But the exigency of the times required that special measures should be taken to insure the residence of an adequate population for the custody of the buildings and the defence of the city. From the annoyances of restless and malignant enemies, who tried every means to demolish the rising fortillcations, there was some danger attending a settlement in .Jerusalem, and hence the greater part of the returned exiles, in order to earn as well as secui-e the rewards of their duty, preferred to remain in the country or the provincial towns. To remedy this state of things, it was resolved tc select every tenth man of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin by lot, to become a permanent inhabitant of the capital. The necessity of such an expedient cominended it to the general approval. It was the more readily submitted to, that the lot was resorted to on all the most critical conjunctures of the Jewish history, and regarded by the people as a Divine decision (Proverbs 18. IS). This awakened strongly the national spirit; and patriotic volunteers came readily forward to meet the wishes of the authorities, a service which, implying great self-denial as well as courage, was reckoned In the circumstances of so mucli Importance as entitled them to the public gratitude. No wonder that the conduct of these volunteers drew fortli the tribute of pul)lic admiration ; for they sacrificed their personal safely and comfort for the interests of the community ; Jerusalem being at that lime a place against which the enemies of the Jews wer(t directing a thousand plots; and, therefore, residence In It at such a Juncluro was attended with expense and various annoyances from which a country life was entirely free.
praise at the time of the morning and evening sacrilice. That service was always accompanied by some appropriate psalm, the sacred music being selected and guided by the pei'son named. the sons of Asaph, the singers were over the business of the house of God—They were seh'cted to take charge of providing those things which were required for the interior of th(^ temple and its ser-
vice, whilst toothers was committed the care of the "outward businesH of tlie house of God " {v, Iti). This duty was veiy properly assigned to the sons of Asaph ; for, though they were Levites, they did not repair In rotation to Jerusalem, as the other ministers of religion. Being permanent residents, and employed In duties which were comparatlvel.v light r.nd easy, they were very competent to undertake tliis charge. !43. it was the king's eoinluandnient— It was the will of the Persian monarch in issuing Ills edict that the temple service .should be revived In all Its religious fulness and solemnlt.y; and as this special provision for the slng<'rs Is said to have been by the king's commandmeiil, the ordi'r was jirobably given nt the re(iuesl or suggestion of V./.vw or Nelicmiali.
S2'l. I'etltahiith , . . was at the king's hand in all matters eoiicerniiig <he people—Tills person was entrusted with judicial power, either for the Interest, or by the appointment, of the Persian monarch, and Ills dul.v consisted either In adjusting cases of <! vil dispute, or in ri'gu-
liitlng fiscal concerns. 'Z^y, some of the children of Judah dwelt at Ivirjatli-arl>a—The whole region in which the villages licrct mendoned were situated had been completely devastati'cl by the CliMlilean Invasion; and, tlierefore, 1 1 must be assuiui'il, t hat I liese vil luges liad been rebuilt belore "tlie <'hililren dwell In tliem." .'Ifi. And of the Levites were divlsioiiN In Judah, and In Ileiijaiiilii—rather, there were divisions for the Levites,
i. (.'., those who were not resldcrt In Jerusalem were dls-
Succession of the High Priests. NEPIEMIAH XII, XIII. Israel Separated from the Strangen.
procession commmces. Then (t>. 31)1 brought up the princes of Judah upon the wall (near the Valley Gate), and appointed two great companies of them that gave thanks, whereof one went on the right hand upon tlie wall towards the dung-gate (Ihrouyh Bethzo). And after tliem went Hoshaiah, and half of the princes of Judah. And
trlbuted in settlements throngliout the provinces of Judah and Benjamin.
Ver. 1-9. Priests aud Levites who came up with Zerubbabel. 1. these are the priests—According to v. 7 "the chief of the priests," tlie heads of the twenty-four courses into which the priestliood were divided (1 Chron-
(v. 37) at tlie fountain-gate, which was over against tliem, they {descending by the Tower of Siloam on the interior, and then reascending) went up by the stairs of tiie city of David, at the going up of the wall, above tiie liouse of David, even unto the water-gate eastward (by the staircase of the rampart, having descended to dedicate the fountain structures). And the otiier company of them that gavo thanks went over against them (both parties having started from the junction of the first and second walls), and I after them, and the half of tlie people upon the wall, from beyond the tower of the furnaces even unto the broad wall (beyond the corner-gate). And from above the gate of Ephraim, and above the old gate (and the gate of Benjamin), and above the fish-gate, and the tower of Hananeel, and the tower of Meah, even unto the sheep-gate; and they stood still in the prison-gate (o?- high gate, at the east end of the bridge). So stood the two companies of them that gave thanks in the house of God, and I, and half of the rulers witli me (having thus performed the circuit of the investing walls), and arrived in the courts of the temple." [Barclay's City of the Great King.] 43. the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar otf—Tlie events of the day, viewed in connection with the now repaired and beautified state of the city, raised tlie popular feeling to the highest pitch of enthusiasm, and the fame of their rejoicings was spread far and near. 44. portions of the law i. e., prescribed by the law. for Judah rejoiced for the priests and . . . Levites that waited—Tlie cause of this general satisfaction was eitlier the full restoration of the temple service, and the reorganized provision for the permanent support of the ministrj', or it was th« pious cliaracter and eminent gifts of the guardians of re» llgion. 45. the singers and the porters kept . . the ward of the purification i. e., toolj care that no unclean person was allowed to enter witliin the prt'(^ncts of the sacred building. Tiiiswas the official duty of the porters
icles 24. 1-20). Only four of the courses returned from the captivity (ch. 7. 39-42; Ezra 2. 36-39). But these were divided by Zerubbabel, or Jeshua, into the original number of twenty-four. Twenty-two only are enumerated here, and no more than twenty in v. 12-21. The discrepancy is owing to tlie extremely probable circumstance tliat two of the twenty-four courses had become extinct in Babylon; for none belonging to them are reported as having returned {v. 2-5), viz., Hattush and Maadiah may be omitted in the account of those persons' families (v. 12), for these had no sons. Shealflel—or Salathiel. Ezra This was a different person from the pious and patriotic leader. If he were the same person, he must now have reached a very patriarchal age—and this longevity was doubtless owing to his eminent piety and temperance, which are greatly conducive to the prolongation of life, but, above all, to the special blessing of God, who had preserved and strengthened him for the accomplishment of the Important work he was called to undertake in that critical period of the Church's history. 4. Abijah—One of the ancestors of John the Baptist (Luke 1. 5). 9. tliclr brethren were over against them in the watches i, e., according to some, their stations—the places where they stood wlien officiating—" ward over against ward" {v. 24); or, according to others, In alternate watches, in course of rotation.
10-47. Succession or the High Priests. 10. Jeshna begat Joiakim, &c.—This enumeration was of great importance, not only as establishing their individual purity of descent, but because the chronology of the Jews was henceforth to be reckoned not as formerly by tlie reigns of their king*, l)ut by the successions of their higli priests. 11. Jaddna—It is an opinion entertained by many commentators that this person was the high priest whose dignified appearance, solemn manner, and splendid costume overawed and interested so strongly the proud mind of Alexander the Great; and if lie were not this person, as some object that this Jaddua was not in office
(2 Chronicles 2'?. 19), with whom, owing to the pressure of circumstances, it was deemed expedient that the singers should be associated as assistants. 47, all Israel . . . sanctiiied holy tilings unto the Ijevites, itc—Tiie people, selecting tlie tithes and first-fruits, devoted tliem to the use of tlie Levites, to wliom they belonged liy appointment of the law. The Levites acted in the same way with the tithes due from them to tlie priests. Tiius ail classes of the people displayed a conscientious fidelity in paying the dues to the temple and the servants of God who were appointed to minister in It.
till a considerable period after the death of Nehemiah, It miglit probably be his father, called by the same name. 12. in the days of Joiakim were priests, the chief of the fathers—i.e., as there had been priests in the days of Jeshua, so In the time of Joiakim, the son and successor of Jeshua, the sons of those persons filled the priestly office in room of their fathers, some of whom were still alive, though many were dead. 33. Tlic sons of licvi . . . were written in the book of tlie Chronicles i. e., the public registers in which the genealogies were kept with great regularity and exactness. 37-43. at the dedication of the wall of .Terusalem—This ceremony of consecrating the wall and gates of the city was an act of piety on the part of Nehemiah, not merely to thank God in a general way for having been enabled to bring the building to a happy completion, but on the special ground of that city being the place which lie had chosen, and Us containing the temple which was hallowed by the manifestation of His presence, and anew set apart to His service. It was on these accounts that Jerusalem was called "the holy city," and by this public and solemn act of religious observance, after a long period of neglect and desecration, it was, as it were, reBtored to Its riglitful proprietor. The dedication consisted in a solemn ceremonial. In which tlie leading authorities, accompanied by the Levitlcal singers, summoned from all parts of the country, and by a vast concourse of people, marched In Imposing procession round the city walls, and, pausing at intervals to engage in united praises, prayer, and sacrifices, supplicated the continued preseu'-e. favour, and blessing on "the holy city." " The astembty convened near Jaffa Oale, where the
Ver. 1-9. Upon the Reading of the Law Separation IS made from the Mixed Multitude. 1. On that day—This was not immediately consequent on the dedication of the city wail and gates, but after Nehemiah's return from the Persian court to .Jerusalem, his absence having extended over a consideralile period. The transaction here described prol)ably toolc place on one of the periodical occasions for tlie public readings of the law, when the people's attention was particularly directed to some violations of it which called lor immediate correction. Tliere is another instance aflbrded. In addition to those which have ali-eady fallen under our notice, of the great advantages resulting from the public and periodical reading of the Divine law. It was an established provision for the religious instruction of tlie people,
for diffusing a knowledge and a reverence for tlie sacred volume, as well as for removing those errors and corruptions which might, in the course of time, have crept In, the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God for ever—i. e., not l)e incorporated into tlie Israelitish kingdom, nor united in marriage relations with that people (Deuteronomy 2;5. 3, 4). This ap-
A hasuerus makes Royal Feasts ESTHER I. to his Princes and Senand.
House of God. 10. And I perceived that tlie portioua of the Levltes had not been given them—The people, di.sgusted witii tlie malversations of Eliashib, or the lax and irregular performance of tlie sacred rites, withheld the tithes, so that the ministers of religion were fompelled for their livelihood to withdraw to their patrimonial possessions in tlie country; the temple services had ceased; all religious duties fallen into neglect; and the money put into the sacred treasury squandered in the entertainment of an Ammonite heathen, an open and contemptuous enemy of God and his people. The return of the governor put an end to these disgraceful and pi ofane proceedings. He administered a sharp rebuke to tliose priests to whom the management of the temple and its services was committed, for the total neglect of their duties, and the violation of the solemn promises which they had made to him at his departure. He upbraided tiiem with the serious charge of having not only witlilield from men their dues, but of having robbed God, by neglecting the care of his house and service. And thus liaviug roused them to a sense of duty, and incited tliem to testify their godly sorrow for their criminal negligence by renewed devotedness to their sacred work, Nehemiali restored the temple services, by recalling the dispersed Levites to the regular discharge of their duties, while the people at large, perceiving that their contributions would be no longer perverted to improper uses, willingly brought in their tithes as formerly. Men of integrity and good report were appointed to act as trnstees of the sacred treasures, and thus order, regularity and active service were re-established in the temple.
peal to the authority of the Divine law led to a dissolution of all heathen alliances (ch. 9. 2; Ezra 10. 3). 4. before tliis —The practice of these mixed marriages, in open neglect or violation of the law, had become so common, tliat even the pontifical house, whicli ought to have set a belter example, was polluted by such an impure mixture. Eliashibtliv priest , . . was allied unto Toblnli—Tiiis person was the high priest (u. 28; also ch. 3. 1), wlio, by virtue of
his dignified office, had the superintendence and control
of the apartments attached to the temple. The laxity
of liis principles, as well as of his practice, is sufficiently apparent from his contracting a family connection with
so notorious an enemy of Israel as Tobiah. But liis obsequious attentions had carried liim mucli fartlier, for to accommodate so important a person as Tobiah on his occasional visits to Jerusalem, Eliashib had provided him a splendid apartment in tlie temple. Tlie introduc-
tion of so gross an impropriety can be accounted for in no
otiier way tlian by supposing that in tlie absence of the
priests, and the cessation of the services, the temple wa-s regarded as a common public building, whicli might, in the circumstances, be appropriated as a palatial residence. 6. But In all tills time was not 1 at Jeriisalem —Eliashib—concluding that, as Nehemiah had ileparted from Jerusalem, and, on the expiry of his allotted term
of absence, had resigned his government, he had gone not to return—began to use great liberties, and, there being none left whose authority or frown he dreaded,, allowed himself to do things most unwort hy of his sacred
office, and which, thougli in unison with his own irreligious cliaracter, lie would not have dareil to attempt during the residence of the pious governor. Neliemiali resided twelve years as governor of Jerusalem, and liaving succeeded in repairing and refortifying the city, he at the end of that period returned to his duties in Sliushan. How long he remained there is not expressly said, but "after certain days," which is a Scripture phraseology for a year or a number of years, he obtained leave to resume the government of Jerusalem, and, to his deep mortification and regret, found matters in the neglected and disorderly statfe here described. Such gross irregularities as were practised, such extraordinary corruptions as had crept in, evidently imply the lapse of a considerable time. ISesides, they exhibit the character of Eliashib, the high priest, in a most unfavourable light; for while he ought, b,y his office, to have preserved the inviolable sanc'tity of the temple and its furniture, his influence had been directly exerci.sed for evil; especially he liad given permission and countenance to a most indecent outrage the appropriation of the best apartments in llie sacred building to a heathen governor, one of the worst and most determined enemies of the people and the worship of God. Tiie very first reform Nehemiah on his second visit resolved upon, was the stopping of this gross profanation, and the chamber which had been polluted by tlie residence of the idolatrous Ammonite was, after undergoing the process of ritual purification (Numbers 15. 9), restored to its proper use—a store-house for the sacred vessels.
1.5-81. The Violation of the Sabb.\th. 15. In (hose days saw I in Jndah some treading wlnc-pi;esMes on tlie Sabbath—The cessation of the temple services was necessarily followed by a public profanation of the Sabbath, and this had gone so far that labour was carried on in the fields, and fish brought to the markets on the sacred day. Nehemiah took the decisive step of ordering the city gates to be shut, and not to be opened, till the Sal)bath was past; and in order to ensure the faithful execution of this order, he stationed some of his own servants as guards, to prevent the introduction of any coniinodilies on that day. On the merchants and various dealers limling admission denied them, they set up booths oulsidu the walls, in hopes of still driving a traffic with the peasantry, but the governor threatened. If they continued, to adopt violent measures for their removal. For this purpose a liody of Levites were stationed as sentinels at the gate, with discretionary powers to protect the .sanctification of the Sabbath. could not speak in tlie Jews' language, but according to tlie language of eacli people— A mongrel dialect Imbibed from their mothers, together with foreign principles and hal)its. ^J.'i. rursed them i. c, pronounced on tliein an anathema whkdi entailed excommunication. smote . . . and plucked oir their hair—To cut oil' the hair of ofiendcrs seems to be a punishment rather disgraceful tlian severe; yet It is supposed tluit pain was added to disgrace, and that they tore otr the hair with violence, as If they were plucking a bird alive.
10-U. Nehemiah Reforms the Oiticeiis in the
TIIP] BOOK OF ESTHER.
not been nnfrequently provided by the luxurious nionarchsof Eastern countries, bolli in ancient and modern times. The early portion of this festive season, however, seems to have been dedicated to amusement, particularly an exhibition of the magnificence and treasures of the court, and It was closed by n special feiist of seven days' continuance, given within the gardens of the royal palace. The ancient palace of .Siisa has been recently disinterred from
Ver. 1-22. Ahasuerus makes Royai, F'kasts. I. Ahasuerus— It is now generally agreed amongst learned men that the Ahasuerus mentioned In this episode Is the Xerxes who figures In Grecian history. 3. made a feast nnto all his princes and his servanis— I!anr|Ucts on so grand a scale, and extending over so great a jieriod, have
Thuhli He/uses to attend the Feast.\ ESTHER 11. Es-fher Chosen to be i^ueen-
peased—On recovering from the violent excitement of his revelry and I'age, tlie king was pici-< e.l with poignant regret for the unnuM ited treatnii iit he li;iil given to his beau-
Rn incumbent mass of earth and ruins, and In that pahice,
wliich is, l)ey<)nil all doubt, tlie actual edifice referred to
In tliis passage, there is a great hall of marble pillars. "The position of tliegreatcolounade corresponds with the account here given. It staiidson an elevation in the cen-
tiful and dignified queen. Rut, according to the law, wliicli made the word of a Persian liing irrevocable, she could not be restored. Illscouiiscllors, for theirown sake, were solicitous to remove his disquietude, and hastened to recommend tlie adoption of all suilahlemeansforgratifying their royal master witli another consort of equal or superior attractions to those of Ills divorced queen, lu the despotic countries of the East the custom obtains that when an order is sent to a family for a young damsel to repair to tlie royal palace, the parents, however unwilling, dare not refuse the honour for their daugliter; and although they know that wiien she is once in the royal harem, they will never see her again, they are obliged to yield a silent and passive compliance. On the occasion referred to, a general search was commanded to be made
tre of tlie mound, the remainder of vvhicli we may well
inin,t,ine to have been occupied, after the Persian fashion, with a gard(-n and fountains. Thus the colonnade would represent the ' court of the garden of the king's palace' with its ' pillarsof marble.' I am even inclined tobelieve the expression, 'Shushan the palace,' applies especially
to this portion of the existing ruins, in contradistinction
to the citadel and the city of Shushan." [Loftus' CiialDxKA AND SUSIANA.] 6. Wliere Were wliite, grecii, niid blue liangiiigs, &c.—The fashion, in the houses of the great, on festive occasions, was to decorate the chambers trom the middle of the wall downward with damask or velvet hangings of variegated colours suspended on hooks, or taken down at pleasure, the beils were of gold ami sliver—t. e., the couches on which, according to Oriental fashion, the guests reclined, and which were either formed entirely of gold and silver, or inlaid with ornaments of those costly metals, stood on an elevated floor of particoloured marble. 7. they gave tlicni drinU In vessels of gold—There is reason to believe from this account, as well as from ch. 5. G ; 7. 2, 7, 8, where the drinking of wine occupies by far the most prominent place in the descrip-
for the greatest beauties throughout the empire, in the hope tliat, from their ranks, the disconsolate monarch might select one for the honour of succeeding to the royal honours of Vashtl. The damsels, on arrival at the palace, were placed under the custody of " Hege, the king's chamberlain, keeper of the women," i. e., the chief eunuch, usually a repulsive old man, on whom the court ladies are very dependent, and whose favour tin y are always desirous to secure. 5. Now In Shushan <hc palace there was a certain Jew—Mordecai held some office about the court. But his " sitting at the king's gate" (i'. 21) does not necessarily imply that he was in tlie humble condition of a porter; for, according to an institute of Cyrus, all state
tion., that tills was a li)anquet rather than a feast. 9. Also Vasliti the queen made a feast for tlie women—The celebration was double; for, as according to the Oriental fashion, the sexes do not intermingle in society, the court ladies were entertained in a separate apartment by the queen. 10-13. On tlie seventh day, wlien the heart of the king was meri-y with wine—As the feast-days advanced, the drinking was more freely indulged in, so that the close was usually marked by great excesses of reveli-y. he commanded , . . the seven chnmberlalus— these were the eunuchs who had charge of the royjil harem. The refusal of Vashtl to obey an order which required her to make an indecent exposure of herself before a company of drunken revellers, was becoming both the modesty of her sex and her rank as queen ; for, according to Persian customs, the queen, even more than the wives of other men, was secluded from the public gaze; and had not the king's blood been heated with wine, or his reason overpowered by force of offended pride, he would have perceived that his own honour, as well as hers, was consulted by her dignified conduct. 13. Then the king said to the wise men—These we?e probably the magi, without whose advice as to the proper time of doing a thing the Persian kings never did take any step whatever; and the persons named in the following verse were the "seven counsellors" (of. Ezra 7. 14) who formed the state ministry. The combined wisdom of all. It seems, was enlisted to consult with the king what course should be taken after so unprecedented an occurrence as Vashti's disobedience of the royal summons. It is scarcely possible for us to Imagine tlie astonishment produced by such a refusal in a country and a court where the will of the sovereign was absolute. The assembled grandees were petrified with horror at the daring aflfront; alarm for the consequences that might ensue to each of them In his own household next seized on their minds, and the sounds of bacchanalian revelry were hushed intodeep and anxious consultation what punishment to inflict on the refractory queen. But a purpose was to be served by the flattery of the king and the enslavement of all women. The counsellors were too intoxicated or obsequious to oppose the courtly advice of Memucan. It was unanimously resolved, with a wise regard to tlie public Interests of the nation, that the punishment of Vashtl could be nothing short of degradation from her royal dignity. The doom was accordingly pronounced and made known In all parts of the empire.
officers were required to wait in the outer courts till they were summoned into the presence-chamber. He might, therefore, have been a person of some official dignity. This man had an orphan niece, born during the exile, under hiscare, whobeingdistinguislud by great personal beauty, was one of the young damsels taken into the royal harem on this occasion, and had had the good fortune at once to gain the good-will of the cliief eunuch. Her sweet and amiable appearance made her a favourite with all who looked upon her {v. 15, last clause). Her Ho brew name {v. 7) was Hadassah, i. e., myrtle, which, on her introduction into the royal harem, was changed for Ksther, i. e., the star Venus, indicating beauty and good fortune. [GeseniuS.] 11. Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women's house—Tlie liarmi is an inviolable sanctuary, and what is transacted within
its walls is as much a secret to those witlioat as if they were thousands of miles away. But hints were given him through the eunuchs. 13. Now Avlien every maid's turn was come to go in to King Altasuerus—A whole year was spent in preparation for the intended honour. Considering that this took place in a palace, the long perio'J prescribed, together with the profusion of costly and fragrant cosmetics employed, was probably required by state etiquette. 17. the king loved Esther above all the women—The choice fell on Esther, who found favour in the eyesof Ahasuerus,and elevated her to the dignity of chief wife, or queen. The other competitors had apartments assigned them in the royal harem, and were retained in the rank of secondary wives, of Avhom Orii ntal princes have a great nitmlier. he set the royal crown upon her head—This consisted only of a purple ribbon, streaked with white, bound round the forehead. The nuptials were celebrated by a magnificent entertainment, and, in honour of the auspicious occasion, " he made a release to the provinces, and gave gifts, according to the state ot tlie king." The dotation of Persian queens consisted in consigning to them the revenue of certain cities, in various parts of the kingdom, for defraying their personal and domestic expenditure. Some of these imjiosts the king remitted or lessened at this time.
21-23. Mordecai, Discovering a Treason, is Recorded in the Chronicles. 21. In those days . . . two of the king's chamberlains . . , were wroth and sought to lay hand on the king, &c.—This secret conspiracy against the king's life probably ai-ose out of revenge for the divorce of Vasliti, in whose Interest, and
Ver. 1-20. ESTHER Chosen TO BE Queen. 1. After these things, when the wrath of King Ahasucfus was n\t-
Saman seeks Revenge on the Jews. ESTHEE III, IV. Mordecai and the Jews Moxim
manual to a royal edict. 13-15. Then were the king's scribes called . . . and there was written—The government secretaries were employed in making out the proclamation authorizing a universal massacre of the Jews on one day. It was translated Into the dialects of all the people throughout the vast empire, and swift messengers sent to carry it into all the provinces, and, on the day appointed, all Jews were to be put to death, and their property confiscated; doubtless, the means by which Haman hoped to pay his stipulated tribute into the exchequer. To us it appears unaccountable how any sane monarch could have given his consent to the extirpation of a numerous class of his subjects. But such acts of frenzied barbarity have, alas ! been not rarely authorized by careless and voluptuous despots, who have allowed their ears to be engrossed and their policy directed by haughty and selfish minions, who had their own passions
at whose instigation, these eunuclis may have acted. Through tlie viglUmce of Mordecai, wliose fidelity, liow-
ever, passed unnoticed, tlie design was frustrated, while the conspirators were condemned to be executed ; and as the matter was recorded In the court annals, it became the occasion afterwards of Mordecai's preferment to tlie place of power and influence for wliicli, in furtherance of the national interests of tlie Jews, Divine providence
intended him.
Ver. 1-15. H\MAN, Advanced by ti^e King, and Despised BY Mordecai, seeks IIevenge on all the Jew's.
1. After tJicse tilings did Aliasuerns promote Hamau
. . . and set liis seat above ail tlie princes i. e., raised him to the rank of vizier, or prime confidential minister, whose pre-eminence in office and power appeared in the elevated state chair appropriated to that supreme functionary. Such a distinction in seats was counted of vast Importance in the formal court of Persia. 3. all the king's servants, that were in tlie king's gate, bowed, and reverenced Haman—Large mansions in the East are entered by a spacious vestibule, or gateway, along the sides of which visitors sit, and are received by the master of the house; for none, except the nearest relatives or special friends, are admitted farther. There the officers of the ancient king of Persia waited till they were called, and did obeisance to the all-powerful minister of the day. but Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence—The obsequious homage of prostiation, not entirely foreign to the manners of the East, had not been claimed by former viziers; but this minion required that all subordinate officers of the court should bow before him with their faces to the earth. But to Mordecai it seemed that such an attitude of profound reverence was due only to God. Haraan being an Amalekite, one of a doomed and accursed race, was, doubtless, another element in the refusal; and on learning that the recusant was a Jew, whose nonconformity was grounded on religious scruples, the magnitude of the afiront appeared so much the greater, as the example of Mordecai would be imitated by
to gratify, their own ends to serve, the king and Haman sat down to drink ; but the city Sliushan was perplexed—The completeness of the word-painting in this verse is exquisite. The historian, by a simple stroke, has drawn a graphic picture of an Oriental despot, wallowing with ills favourite in sensual enjoyments, while his tyrannical cruelties were rending the hearts and homes of thousands of his subjects.
Ver. 1-14. Mordecai and the Jews Mourn. 1. When Mordecai perceived all that was done—Relying on the irrevocable nature of a Persian monarch's decree (Daniel
6. 15), Haman made it known as soon as the roj-^1 sanction had been obtained, and Mordecai was, doubtless, amongst the first to hear of it. On his own account, as well as on that of his countrymen, this astounding decree must have been indescribably distressing. The acts described in this passage are, according to the Oriental fashion, expressive of the most poignant sorrow; and his approach to the gate of the palace, under the impulse of irrepressible emotions, was to make an earnest though vain appeal to the royal mercy. Access, however, to the king's presence was, to a person in his disfigured state, impossible; "for none might enter into the king's gate clothed with sackcloth." But he found means of conveying intelligence of the horrid plot to Queen Esther. 4. Then was the queen
all his compatriots. Had the homage been a simple token of civil respect, Mordecai would not have refused it; but the Persian kings demanded a .sort of adoration, which,
it is well known, even the Greeks reckoned it degradation to express, and as Xerxes, in the height of his favouritism, had commanded the same honours to be given to the minister as to himself, this .was the ground of Mordecai's refusal. 7. In the tirst month . . . they cast Piir, that is, the lot—In resorting to this method of ascertaining the most auspicious day for putting his atrocious Bcheme into execution, Haman acted as the kings and noDles of Persia have always done, never engaging in any enterprise without consulting the .astrologers, and being satisfied as to the lucky hour. Vowing revenge, but scorning to lay hands on a single victim, he meditated the extirpation of the whole Jewish race, who, he knew, were sworn enemies of his countrymen, and by artfully representing them as a people who were aliens In manners and habits, and enemies to the rest of his subjects, procured the king's sanction of the intended massacre. One motive which he used in urging his point was addressed to the king's cupidity. Fearing lest his master might object that the extermination of a numerous body of his sul)jocts would seriously depress the public revenue, Haman promised to make up the loss. 9. I will pay ten thousand talents of silver . . . into the king's trrastirles— This sum, reckoning by the Babylonish talent, will be about £2,119,000; but estimated according to the Jewish talent. It will considerably exceed £3,000,000, an immense contribution to be made out of a private fortune. But classic history makes mention of several persons whose resources seem almost Incredible. 10. the king took Ills ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman—There was a seal or signet In the ring. The bestowmernt of the ring, with the king's name and that of his kingdom engraven on It, was given with much ceremony, and It was equivalent to putting the sign 304
. . . grieved ; and . . . sent raiment to . . . Mordecai— Her object in doing so was either to qualify him for resuming his former office, or else, perhaps, of fitting him